Family Kitchen

Grand prize winner

$2,500 in free groceries

Ed Hicken – Guelph, Ontario

Children’s Ages: 6 and 8

As a dad, I want my children to not only eat well, but to enjoy and participate in cooking. It begins with loving cooking and seeing it as a joyful, inventive activity and not a chore. Together we play music, measure, cook, make a mess and produce something tasty. Our kitchen is small. Every tool must have many uses and be used often. We hope this helps our kids learn that they don't need fancy stuff to make great food. A few well chosen supplies and tools are all you really need. We've intentionally made ours a Family Kitchen: We designed our home to have the kitchen at its centre. Helping in the kitchen flows naturally from every area. Our sturdy “Helping Stool" allows the smallest child to get up to the counter safely and participate completely. Lots of measuring cups, scoops and spoons with easy to read measures and storage containers that you can easily scoop ingredients from. Our island can be rolled out to allow kids and their friends to gather around and pitch in.

Runner up

$500 in free groceries

Teri Turner - Stouffville, Ontario

Children’s Ages: 6 and 8

I grew up in a house with seven children. We all learned how to help out in the kitchen at a very young age. We learned how to pull together, how to plan and cook for a group of people on a limited budget following Canada's Food Guide, how to be independent and how to have fun! My two siblings, who are totally blind, were not omitted from the roster! Everyone participated. It was work. It was a time to talk. It was a time to learn how to differentiate and accommodate. The things I learned were invaluable. I want my children to share in the satisfaction of creating something that goes far beyond making something to eat. Both my children, six and seven, apprentice in the kitchen by washing and cutting (hand-over-hand) vegetables. They fill pots with water. Measure and stir. Set the microwave. Problem solve. Laugh. Argue. Negotiate. They are proud of their skills and are eager to learn. Our Family Kitchen is where we learn life skills. Where we learn to be a family.

Runner up

$500 in free groceries

Lynn McPhail – Jackson’s Point, Ontario

Children’s Ages: 12 and 14

We are a family of four, my husband and myself, our fourteen year old son and twelve year old daughter. Growing up on a farm, I was always part of bringing food quite literally from barn or garden to fork and all the steps in between, so I've always been hyper-aware of where my food comes from. It was a blessing to marry someone who loved to EAT and to COOK! Since our children were very small, we've involved them in as many tasks in the kitchen as they could accomplish for their age. When they were toddlers, they would help set the table and pour ingredients in for recipe making. My daughter, Maddie, has always loved to bake and since she was nine, has been creating delicious cakes, cookies and muffins entirely by herself. It has taught her a great deal about fractions, measurement and doubling! Now, we have a system where one night a week, each of our children has to find a recipe, make sure we have the necessary ingredients and make dinner for the family (with our coaching)!

Runner up

$500 in free groceries

Judith Hung – Oakville, Ontario

Child’s Age: 9

Hi, we are the Hung/Lee family. We have four children and two adults in our home environment. Aiden is the youngest of the bunch at 9 years old and he has Autism- he was identified at three years old. Our family kitchen is diverse with many cooks and many unique tastes. When Aiden was younger he would only eat four things: Spagetti, Miso soup, and crunchy things like baby mum mum (a baby cookie) and rice. We tried everything to get this child to try new foods and nothing worked, until we pulled a chair into the kitchen and he stood on a phone book and learned to cook. I will share with you that motivating him to cook can be hard, but with practice he was crushing tomatoes for his sauce, cooking it on a stove, and EATING it! Yes, this day was so amazing that we recorded the first time he made his own sauce it and ate it. Truly it is a memory that our family will never forget. Aiden still cooks and loves making cookies, pasta sauce, tacos and cupcakes.

Runner up

$500 in free groceries

Michelle Slade – London, Ontario

Children’s Ages: 8, 5, 3, 2, and 1

Our family consists of Mom, Dad, and 5 amazing kids. We knew from the start that getting this many people involved in mealtime could be a challenge! So, instead of making our meals very formal and just "ringing the dinner-bell", we decided that we could involve as many hands in meal prep as we could. We moved our table into the kitchen, and everyone helps out. Someone sets the table, kids help prep food, get things from the fridge, chairs are pulled up to counters so little hands can help. It is fun family time, instead of Mom or Dad working alone then calling everyone to the table. It can be chaos, but it is always fun chaos, and I think our kids will have great memories of mealtime being fun and friendly. I hope it will help them to one day have confidence in the kitchen as teenagers, and then as adults.

Runner up

$500 in free groceries

Julie Walter – Ilderton, Ontario

Children’s Ages: 9 months, 2

Our family kitchen is where we slow down the pace of life to enjoy each other. Extra time is taken to show my 2 year old son what I’m doing and explain why. Since he is used to explanations, he is very aware of kitchen safety. I am always trying new foods and recipes. We have a rule in our house, that you must try a food before deciding whether or not you like it. I try to strike a balance between creativity and predictable meals. We have a weekly ‘Friday Night Pizza Night.’ My son helps make the pizza crust and put on the toppings. He helps prepare his own lunch, standing on a chair beside me, ‘helping me’ by eating half of it before it gets to the table! He is just starting to learn to use a knife by chopping soft fruits like bananas with a butter knife. Building his kitchen confidence is a priority, since children learn best by doing rather than being told. Time in the kitchen is growing our child into the caring, confident, inquisitive, patient soul we want him to be.